Improvement in ticket-boxes for railroad passenger-trains



pitre.;

I VAssent TODD, JR., "or rUL'rNnvviLLe, NnWYoRK.

y `Letters Patent No. 97,834, dated December 14, 1869.

IMPRDVEMENT In .TICKET-Boxes' Fon RAILROAD PASSENGER-TRAINS.

The Schedule referred to in theseLetters .Patent and making part of tbetsame.

yTo allfwlzom it muy concern Bc it known that I, ASAHED TODD, Jr., ot Pult- `neyville, Wayne county, New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Collection of Fares upon Railroad Passenger-Oars and I do hereby declare `that. the following is` a full, clear, and exact `description thereof, reference' being had to the accompanyin g drawings, making a part of these specificaf tions, in which-.-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of"avmet'allic shield and receptacle for holding and discharging a ticket or coupon.

Figure 2 isthe reverse side of the samefshowing the works connected therewith.

Figure 9 is a section of ligs. 1 and 2.

The metallic shield A may be cast from brass or malleable iron, or pressed from sheet-metal, and` is provided with parallel grooves cast or punched throughthe face `of' the shield,-`t`o allowfthe movable platforms D D and G G to pass freely.through.`

B, fig. 1, is a metallictable or shelf, securedto the face of the shield, or it may` be fhstenedupon the panelof the car, directly under the shield;

C C", and cross-sectio'ns a calig. 1, are the metallic frameA of the receptacle, which is provided with a `groove in the inner edgeof O C', to retajiuthe glass E E.

The cross-sections should bethick enough to `allow the ticket t0 pass freely through Vbetween the glass v 4 and shield.

The inverted'lhollow cone l1, lig. 1, is provided with a channel for slides, H H, `and is secured to the shield by a thread and screw, or by rivets.

shield, to secure the hinged lever l.

. b b, fig. 1, are sockets cast" upon the lriurof the The hinged lever I and platformD, may be' cast in l There should be sutlicient curve to the lever I to bring the platform' D l) against the glass E E, and to rest upon `the inverted cone', as in one piece of metal.

. llie-coneJ maybe cast or riveted upon the lever I, The spriug-lever and` platforms G, Figures 5- and 2, are made by riveting springs of steel or brass upon `V the lever G and posts d d.

Figure 7 is abar, with two pins attached oisuttlcieut lengthto pass throughthe holes c' c when Athe bar is secured to therim of the, shield, and` to retain the spiral springs coiled around the pins.

S S,1ig. 6, are springs with combined sldesfH and catchN attached.

The springs are riveted to the inner side ofthe 'rim y of the shield A, in such aposition as to allow the slides i H topass freelythrough the channel in the inverted cone F, andr to permit the `catches N to clasp the hinged lever I.

A', fig. 3, is a key', with a triangular box, L, to

Y hold the coupontickets.

The key A has a recess in the end, corresponding with the cone J, and is provided with ahandle, f.

The box KL, iig. 3, is made by bending each end of the-plates K and L at right angles with the plates K and L, and pivoting them in the centre of' each end by a pin. l l Y The endsshonld be rounded from the centre to the edge ofthe plates, to allow the under part of the box to close, and is kept closed by means of a spiral spring attached to L at I, fig. 3.

M is a spiral spring coiled around the key, and is secured b y a shoulder turned at the proper distance 'from the end, to insure the movement-of the box when theI key is pressed against the cone J.

Y The'tick'et, FigureS, represents anordinary railroad'- ticket, with acoupon attached, representing, by iigures, the number of the station for which the ticket' has been purchased.`

The small Iigures are the number of the ticket, and should be printed upon both sections, or the number of .therticket may be printed at the point where the two tickets join.

TheV coupon should be nearly severed from the` ticket by cutting, punching, `or by indentations upon the card, soit may be reudilyfsevered from the ticket.

To enable others to make and use my invent-ion, I will explain the instruction and manner of operating the same.

Fasten the receptacle to the shield by screws or rivets, slide the glass E ll into the groove, and secure the saine by a pin or screw. Fasten the inverted cone to the shield by rivets, or a thread-screw may be cut upon the cone and shield. g

The tableB may be fastened to the shield, or upon the panel ofthe car, directly under the receptacle.

The hinged lever I should be pivoted to the sockets "B B at -the proper point to allow the platform I) D to pass through the groove in the' shield, and to bringr the cone J inthe centre ofthe key-*hole The spring, slide, and catches nn are riveted tothe rim ofthe shield, in such aposition as to permit the slides to pass freely through the channel in the inverted cone, and to hold firmly, by the catches, the hinged level' when the key is not in use.

Secure the bar 0, iig. 7, directly over the platform D, sol that the spiral springs and guideswill act above and through the holes c' c in the hinged lever I.

Rivet, or secure by screws, the springs P I toA the v lever and plattbrrns G G, and to the posts D' D Secure the shield to the panels of the car, between the windows, high` enough to bring it even with the shoulder of a man when standing in the aisle.

The key A', iig. 3, should be long enough to reach the inverted cone by a person standing in the aisle, or passa-ge between the seats.

The triangular box must move easily upon the key, and should be shorter than the receptacle in the shield.

Stations on all railroads are numbered from its principal terminus; as, for instance, Albany,l New York, is station No. 1 on the New York Centra-l Railroad; the next station west would be No. 2.

I print in prominent figures, upon the coupon attached to the ticket, a number corresponding with the number ofthe station for which the ticket has been purchased.

The seats -in the cars should be divided by an arm in the centre, making two distinct seats.

When the conductor enters the car, he will observe if there are coupons in th'e receptacles; if not, will receive from the passenger his ticket, fold the coupon over upon the ticket, and punch through both. Returning the ticket to the passenger, he will place the coupon for the right-hand passenger in the right-hand division of the triangular box; the coupon for the lefthand passenger', in t-he left-hand division; then insert the key in the key-hole, which will press the upper side ofthe plate L back, and allow the coupon to fall through to the platform D, figs. 4 and 2. Continuing the pressure will move the slides H and hooks N N, which releases the hinged lever I. The key then presses against the cone J, pushing back the platform D, which permits the coupon to fall into the receptacle. Withdraw the key, and the springs b' b,'iig. 7, force the platform back to its place.

Should a passenger' desire to change his seat, he will press against'the spring-lever at c c", which will allow his coupon to fall upon the shelf B, and may be placed in another receptacle by theiconductor.

Should a passenger fail to obtain a ticket before entering the cars, there should be an oiiice in the rear car, where he may obtain one.

Before arriving at the station for which the ticket has been purchased, the coupon should be dropped, and the ticket secured by the conductor.

If a passenger wishes to stop off before arriving at the station for which his ticket has been purchased, a double punch, and number of the station made with a pencil, will allow him to resume his journey from that station-at any subsequent time. lo assist the con` ductor in using the ticket as a. stop-oi ticket, the numbers of the principal stations should be printed upon the margin of the ticket. The shield behind the glass being painted black, the punch-mark is distinctly seen, and the same punch should be sent over the en tire line, but should not follow upon the same train at regular periods.

As all the tickets sold upon the train are charged to the conductor, and must be accounted for, vand as all tickets can be secured by the conductor, this system etfectually prevents fraud upon the railroad company, either by conductors or passengers.

WhatI desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The self-closing receptacle G E, attached to the case A, for holding in view a coupon or ticket, its insei-tion being under the control of the conductor, and its removal under the control of the passenger or conductor.

2. rlhe arrangement of the conical recess F, in the case A, the hinged lever I, and gate D, for admitting the coupon, together with the spring-levers G G, for releasing the same.

3. The key A', haring a triangular spring-box, K L, for the insertion of the coupon into the receptacle.

4. In combination with the ticketbox, as constructed, the employment of the coupon-ticket as described, substantially and for the purposes set forth.

' ASAHEL TODD, Ja.

Witnesses:

EDM. F. BROWN, R. L. Ross. 

